The advent of widespread computer availability has made a decade-long effort to transfer borough tax collection responsibilities to the town finally possible, according to the Danielson Borough president.

“We’ve been talking about this for 10 years,” said Elaine Lipke, borough president. “But computers weren’t as prevalent then, which made it more difficult to actually get this to happen.”

The Killingly Town Council this week voted to allow the town to start collecting taxes from borough residents beginning July 1. Previously, the borough employed its own tax collector, a situation Lipke called untenable.

“We don’t have the personnel to accommodate the taxpayers,” she said. “A few years ago, our collector became ill and that’s when we saw this was becoming an issue.”

Town Manager Bruce Benway said discussions about a possible collection transfer began in earnest approximately nine months ago and was approved Tuesday after a specific set of procedures was compiled.

Starting in July, borough residents will receive one tax bill four times a year, instead of semiannually.

“And those bills will include a combined town and borough tax bill, not separate bills as they were sent out before,” Benway said. “The bills will then be separated by the tax collector.”

That extra work has prompted a proposal to add a part-time employee to the tax office.

“The borough taxes represent 17 percent of the total taxes in Killingly,” Benway said. “The time spent following-up and recording those extra bills will take time away from the collection of back taxes.”

In exchange for taking on the new tax duties, the town will receive $42,000 for the service. Lipke said the borough is reviewing the contracts for the switch.